Most “low-code vs custom code” debates are either marketing or ideology. We treat it as a decision about risk, speed, ownership, and future cost.
If you’re building a promo site, internal tool, or early MVP, low-code is often the fastest way to reach real users. If you’re building core IP, complex permissions, heavy data processing, or performance-sensitive features, you’ll usually want custom code. The best projects often land in the middle: low-code for the UI and workflows, custom code for the sharp edges.
The 4 questions we ask before picking a path
- 1) What breaks if we need to change this later? If rewrites would be painful (core logic, pricing, auth, permissions), default to custom code or a hybrid with clear seams.
- 2) Who needs to maintain it in 12 months? If you need easy handover, low-code can help. If you need hiring flexibility, custom code can be safer.
- 3) What are the real constraints? Security, compliance, data residency, offline mode, performance, integrations — these dictate architecture more than preference.
- 4) What’s the fastest path to validated learning? If you’re still finding product-market fit, ship the thinnest version that answers the biggest unknown.
Where low-code is a great fit
CRUD apps, admin panels, dashboards, simple marketplaces, and workflow-driven tools. You get speed, a usable UI quickly, and easier iteration during feedback cycles.
Where low-code becomes expensive
Complex authorization rules, heavy background processing, custom sync/offline, unusual integrations, and anything performance-critical. You can still use low-code — but you’ll want custom services for the non-standard parts.
| Use case | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| Marketing / promo site | Low-Code |
| Workflow MVP (forms, tasks, reporting) | Hybrid |
| Core algorithm / unique IP | Traditional Code |
Our default: hybrid with clean boundaries
We aim for a modular setup: UI and basic workflows in low-code for speed, and isolated custom code services for the parts that need full control. That avoids the two common failures: “everything custom too early” and “everything low-code until it hurts.”
“Low-code is a lever for speed. Custom code is a lever for control. Mature products need both.” — Tom
If you want, send your current scope and constraints and we can recommend a split (what stays low-code, what should be coded) before you invest weeks in the wrong direction.
